The present invention is directed to an explosive powder charge operated driving tool with a guide tube for a driving piston axially displaceable within a housing and with at least one spring clip mounted in the housing at least partially embracing a generally cylindrically shaped housing section. The spring clip contacts the housing section with prestress. The spring clip has a first end projecting radially inwardly of the housing section into a recess in the piston guide tube and contacts a shoulder at a trailing end of the recess.
It is generally known in explosive powder charge operated driving tools to retain the guide tube for a driving piston by appropriate means so that it is held against a locking piece at the trailing end of the guide tube in the tool.
A spring clip, used as retention means and easy to assemble in a tool, is shown in DE-PS 1 923 050. The spring clip is held in the housing so that it can not be displaced in the axial or driving direction of the tool and surrounds with prestress a generally cylindrically shaped housing section. The spring clip has two bent-off ends disposed diametrically opposite one another with the ends projecting into the guidance region of the housing section. Accordingly, the ends grip behind a shoulder of the guide tube on the driving direction side.
A considerable disadvantage of this known arrangement is that the spring clip must be widened for installation on the housing section by a distance corresponding to the width of the bent-off ends. As a result, the high forces acting counter to the prestress must be overcome during installation, complicating the assembly process. In addition, the spring clip is widened to such an extent in this installation step, that it has an resultant large size to assure that sufficient prestress remains for the retention feature.